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Do You Hate Change as Much as I Do?

No, I’m not talking about the kind of change you get back from a ten dollar bill when you buy a fast food lunch. I’m talking about those disruptions that make up most of life.

Once I get into a groove, I don’t like it when something comes along and smacks me off the track. It doesn’t even have to be a groove I particularly like, but one I can at least tolerate.

I’ve always been this way, so it’s nothing new. I really flinch when things change. I eventually adapt though.

But all this change is one more reason to hate Facebook. Some space cadet geeky genius thinks it needs to change every time you turn around. (I just had to get that one in.)

Seriously though, 2012 has been one lousy year I’m glad is in the past because our family has been forced to go through some stressful changes. I won’t elaborate here, but I suspect you can relate. And what’s worse, 2013 definitely doesn’t promise to be a bastion of stability.

So why am I telling you this? Because it’s critical that we understand our own attitudes toward change and how it relates to prepping.

You see, the whole point of prepping is to be braced up for change. Change is inevitable and unavoidable. Whether it’s natural disasters, a death in the family, a job loss, or whatever, we’re going to face changes.

Let’s try a thought experiment. Pretend you’re a science fiction writer. How would you write a story that’s futuristic, but believable?

The first thing you’d do is analyze current trends. Things like the increasing contamination of our food supply by GMO crops. Continual loss of freedoms in a socialistic country. The growing elderly population. High technology devices such as 3D printers. I could go on, but you get the idea.

To write your story, you’d pick a trend or two and imagine what the future would be like if that trend continued. What impact will it have on society? Will a remedy for a serious problem develop and make life better or worse? How will your story’s characters respond?

You’d start the writing process by working up an outline or story board to give you a framework. Then you’d start filling in the details. After a lot of diligent work, you’d have your manuscript ready with hopes the world will see it and appreciate you for the brilliant writer you are.

How does this relate to prepping?

Take a look around you. Then don’t be afraid to think negatively for a bit. After all, the goal is to turn negatives into positives. But you can’t do that if you refuse to see the negatives. Don’t let anyone discourage you by saying you focus too much on the What Ifs.

Do you live in a flood zone? How about hurricanes? Do you or a loved one have an injury or illness that needs attention? Does Obamacare look like it’s going to have a negative impact on you and your family?

If you can anticipate potential problems, then you can begin making plans to find solutions. Do you need to start a garden? Buy Storage Food? Stop paying for cable TV? Get more exercise? Lighten your load at work?

This won’t all come at once. Like the science fiction writer, you can’t crank out greatness some morning between breakfast and lunch. It’s going to take time. You’re going to have to put thought and strategic effort into prepping.

If you’re like me, you wish things would change for the better. That’s the kind of change that’s much easier to take. But what if it doesn’t go that way? Can you be adaptable and flexible?